Tafsir of Al-Waqi'ah 56:74

This is a consequence of what was enumerated of the wonders of His craftsmanship—Exalted be He—and the deposits of His blessings—Glorified and Exalted be He.

As for the meaning, it has been said: "Initiate glorification (tasbih)," treating the transitive verb as though it were intransitive. What is intended by "initiating" it is its continuity, not its commencement, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was never neglectful of it. Al-Tayyibi countered this, noting that this is the opposite of what the term "initiation" (ihdath) necessitates; thus, what is intended is the renewal of glorification.

There is an ellipsis in the speech: "Glorify by mentioning the name of your Lord." Or, "the Name" is a metaphor for "mention," since applying the word "name" to something is to mention it. The ba (in bi-ism) is for seeking assistance (isti'ana) or accompaniment (mulabasa). Its being for transitivity, as is apparent in the speech of Abu Hayyan, is nothing of substance. "The Great" is an adjective for "the Name" or for "the Lord."

The sequence of the command to glorify after enumerating those things is either to declare Him—Exalted be He—transcendent above what those who deny His oneness and disbelieve in His blessings—despite their greatness and abundance—say, or it is for the sake of giving thanks for those aforementioned blessings. For declaring Him transcendent and magnifying Him—Glorified and Exalted be He—after mentioning His blessings is a form of praise for them; thus, in reality, it is for the Bestower of blessings. Or, it is to express wonder at the affair of the disbelievers in their disparagement of those dazzling blessings, despite their majestic status and the clarity of their manifestation. "Subhan" is used metaphorically for wonder, as is well known; thus, "glorify" (sabbih) means "express wonder" (ta'ajjab), originally meaning "say: Subhan Allah to express wonder." This is far-fetched, and the preceding interpretation is more apparent.

Furthermore, it is permitted that there be no ellipsis or metaphor in "with the name of your Lord," but rather that it remains upon its literal meaning. Indeed, they said regarding the verse: "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High," that just as it is necessary to declare His Essence and Attributes transcendent of deficiencies, it is necessary to declare the expressions used for them transcendent of bad manners. This is more eloquent, as it necessitates the sanctification of His Essence—Exalted be He—by way of priority (tariq al-awla), following the method of symbolic metonymy (kinaya ramziyya). This, however, only holds if the ba is not mentioned; treating it as redundant (za’ida) is contrary to the apparent meaning, and you have heard of its being for transitivity.

Some have made this address a "vague address" (al-khitab al-lughw al-mu'ayyan), saying: When He mentioned what He mentioned of matters, and everyone acknowledged that they were from Allah, the disbelievers—when demanded to acknowledge Oneness—would say: "We do not associate partners in reality; rather, we take idols as gods, and that is associating in the Name. The One who created us and created the heavens and the earth is Allah; thus, we do indeed declare Him transcendent." Then He—Exalted be He—said: "So glorify with the name of your Lord" in the sense of: "Just as you, O heedless one, acknowledged that they have no partnership in reality, acknowledge that they have no partnership in the Name. Do not call anyone other than Him—Exalted be He—a god, for the name follows the meaning and reality." This address is like the address in the words of a preacher: "O poor man, you have exhausted your life and did not rectify your affairs," not intending anyone in particular, but intending "O poor listener." This is as you see.

Yes, the possibility of the address being general cannot be denied, but this explanation is not necessarily determined by it. Furthermore, it is apparent that the intent behind "mentioning the Lord" or "mentioning His name"—according to what was previously established—is what is commonly understood and known.

In al-Kashf, it states that what is intended by this is his (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recitation of the Qur’an, or of this noble Surah, which includes the proof of the Resurrection, the recompense, and the ranks of its people, in order to align with His saying afterward: "So I swear..." According to the first [opinion], there must be an ellipsis, meaning: "So glorify with the name of your Lord, and fulfill what you have been commanded; then, I swear that it is a Qur’an." The objective is to emphasize the command to glorify. I say: The alignment with the literal meaning also holds, except that one assumes an ellipsis in the speech. There is no harm in saying: When He mentioned what He mentioned of the blessings that invite His Oneness and described Him as befits Him—Exalted be He—He said: "So glorify with the name of your Lord," meaning: Declare Him transcendent above what they say in describing Him, and turn to warning them with the Qur’an, providing argument upon argument after the argument we have mentioned. Then He swore that it is a Qur’an of such and such nature.